Christopher Nolan Is Netflix’s Greatest Enemy

An alternate name for the Dunkirk press tour would be the Great Netflix Thrashing of 2017. Director Christopher Nolan, who helmed the World War II film, simply cannot stop talking about how much he dislikes the streaming platform whenever asked. Theatrical distribution, you see, is as vital as life itself to the Oscar nominee, a man who can hardly even tolerate modern technology like smartphones and e-mails. Netflix is therefore about as welcome as the devil in the Nolan household.

On Wednesday night, Nolan took a shot at Netflix during a screening of Dunkirk, saying he “rarely” uses the streaming service, instead preferring to watch things at home on Blu-ray, according to Deadline. The comment came just hours after IndieWire published an interview with the director in which he more directly insulted the streaming platform because of its preference for same-day streaming over theatrical distribution. (Nolan isn’t alone in his criticism, as many consider Netflix the irritating catalyst for the closing window on theatrical releases.)

“Netflix has a bizarre aversion to supporting theatrical films,” Nolan told IndieWire. “They have this mindless policy of everything having to be simultaneously streamed and released, which is obviously an untenable model for theatrical presentation. So they’re not even getting in the game, and I think they’re missing a huge opportunity.”

He continued by saying that he would never make a movie with Netflix. “Why would you? If you make a theatrical film, it’s to be played in theaters.”

Dunkirk is being released in 125 70mm theaters, which is the “widest release in the format in 25 years,” according to Variety. Nolan has been one of the most high-profile champions of the format, alongside directors like Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson, who have also pushed for 70mm screenings of their films.

Netflix, on the other hand, has been one of the most high-profile slayers of the format, tapping directors to release films straight to its platform. There have been a handful of exceptions, especially for awards-season contenders like Cary Fukunaga’sBeasts of No Nation and Bong Joon-ho’sOkja, but those films were also still offered on the platform the same day as their theatrical release.

Just a few months ago, Nolan was once again stressing the importance of seeing Dunkirk in theaters, as it was filmed with IMAX cameras in order to make full use of the rich medium.

“This is a story that needs to carry you through the suspenseful situation, and make you feel like you are there, and the only way to do that is through theatrical distribution,” he said, nudging those who typically wait for V.O.D. releases.

Netflix has shown no sign of letting up on its instant streaming preference. Nolan, meanwhile, will only let go of his 70mm reels when you pry them from his cold, dead fingers. In 10 years, Ryan Murphy will have an entire anthology series about this filmic feud.